Trump signs bill funding Homeland Security, ending record shutdown
AP News • • nation
Key Points:
- President Donald Trump signed bipartisan legislation to fund most of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), ending the longest agency shutdown in history, but excluded funding for immigration enforcement operations.
- The DHS shutdown began on February 14 and caused hardships for workers, with over 1,000 TSA officers quitting during the period due to pay uncertainties and operational disruptions.
- The funding impasse stemmed from disagreements over immigration enforcement, particularly funding for ICE and Border Patrol, following deadly federal agent actions during protests in Minneapolis.
- Congressional leaders separated the immigration enforcement funding into a budget reconciliation process, aiming to approve $70 billion for ICE and Border Patrol by June 1, while the rest of DHS received bipartisan support.
- DHS employees and unions expressed relief at the funding resolution but criticized the prolonged standoff, emphasizing that federal workers should not be used as political leverage.
